Feeding mechanism for sewing machines



y 14, 1963 v. .1. PATRICK ETAL 3,089,446

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 6, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l' INVENTORS Vito J. Patrick John D. Fisken/ Frank lnrzesz, Jr:

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ATTORNEY May 14, 1963 v. J. PATRICK ETAL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1960 fi S19 2 mm? m mim 4w w flw A y 1963 v. J. PATRICK ETAL 3,089,446

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 6, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 E g lORNEY United States Patent O ice FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Vito J. Patrick and John D. Fisken, Linden, and Frank Fennesz, Jr., Iselin, N.J., assignors to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 6, 1960, Ser. No. 27,354 2 Claims. (Cl. 112211) The present invention relates to a feeding mechanism for sewing machines and particularly to a feeding mechanism of the type having a feeding wheel.

The object of this invention is to provide a wheel feed for sewing machines that is economical in that it is com posed of a minimum number'of elements that are each inexpensive to manufacture, it is compact, and it is easy to assemble and to adjust, and which at the same time is dependable, durable and efficient.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from an-understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises .the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a sewing machine embodying the present invention with parts of the sewing machine broken away and in section to illustrate the invention more clearly.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the bed of the sewing machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the sewing machine of FIG. 1 with portions broken away and in section.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

With reference to the drawings, there is illustrated a sewing machine having a frame including a bed 1 from one end of which rises a standard 2 that carries a bracket arm 3 terminating in a head 4. The bed 1 includes a bed plate 5, the upper surface of which, together with the upper surface of a throat plate 6, comprises the work supporting surface of the machine. Iournaled longitudmally of the bracket arm 3 is a main shaft 7 upon the end of which is a belt pulley 8 by means of which power is delivered to the machine. The stitching mechanism comprises a reciprocating needle bar 9 mounted in the head 4 and carrying a needle 10 that penetrates the throat plate 6 and cooperates beneath the same with a rotary hook 11 in the formation of lock stitches. The hook 11 is mounted upon a hook shaft 12 journalled in the bed 1 and driven from the main shaft 7.

Journaled longitudinally in the rear of the bed 1 by end bearings 13 and 14 is a feed shaft 15 upon which is loosely mounted a sleeve 16. Oscillation is imparted to the sleeve 16 by a conventional feed actuating mechanism which comprises a pitman 17 pivotally connected at its lower end to the end of a crank 18 and having at its upper end a fork 19 that embraces an adjustable eccentric 20 on the main shaft 7. Intermediate its ends, the pitman 17 is pivotally connected to one end of a connecting link 21 that is connected at its other end to the free end of an anchor link 22 pivotally mounted in the standard 2. The eccentric 20 imparts oscillation to the pitman 17 which is converted to endwise movement by 3,089,446 Patented May 14, 1963 the link 21, the amount of which is variable by adjustment of the anchor link 22 to change the pivot axis of the link 21. Endwise movement of the pitman 17 imparts oscillation to the sleeve 16. The sleeve 16 is coupled to the shaft 15 by a one-way clutch 23 to impart intermittent one-way rotation to the shaft 15 upon oscillation of the sleeve 16.

The feeding element comprises a feed wheel 24 which is annular or in the form of a ring and is large enough to provide access to the hook 11. The feed wheel 24 is journaled for rotation in a frame 25 and includes a radially extending flange 26 that extends through a slot in the throat plate '6 and has a peripheral surface 27 engaging the Work and defining the feeding surface. The feed wheel 24 is held in the frame 25 by engagement of the side wall of the flange 26 against one face of the frame 25 and a plate 25a that engages the other face of the frame 25. The plate 25a is secured to the feed wheel- 24 by screws 24a. The work is held against the feeding surface 27 by a roller presser 28 carried by a presser bar 29 mounted in the head 4. The feed wheel 24 also includes a laterally extending sprocket 30 secured thereto by the screws 24a and about which is entrained a lug belt 31. The belt 31 is also entrained about a sprocket 32 secured to the feed shaft 15. Thus, upon rotation of the feed shaft 15, rotation is imparted through the sprockets 32 and 30 and the belt 31 to the feed wheel 24.

The frame 25 is mounted on the bed of the machine in a manner to provide for vertical adjustment in order to vary the rise of the feeding surface 27 above the throat plate 6 and for horizontal adjustment to position the highest point of the feeding surface relatively to the point of stitch formation. For this purpose, the frame 25 is provided at the rear of the bed 1 with a horizontal groove 33 that slidably receives a tongue 34 on a depending arm 35 mounted on the feed shaft 15. A fastening screw 36 extends through a slot 37 that is elongated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the groove 33 and is threaded into the arm 35. At the forward end of the frame 25 there is provided a bracket 38 that is secured to the element 25 in laterally adjusted position by a screw 39. The bracket 38 has a slot extending inwardly from the free end thereof that receives a reduced diameter portion 40 formed by a peripheral groove in an adjusting screw 41 that is threaded into the bed plate 5.

To prevent reverse rotation of the feed shaft 15, there is provided a second one-way clutch 42 mounted thereon and anchored to the arm 35.

To maintain adequate tension in the belt 31, there is a belt tightener comprising an arm 43 pivotally mounted on the frame 25 by a pivot screw 44 and carrying at its free end a belt engaging roller 45. A spring 46 mounted on a stud 47 that is threaded into the frame 25 and acts between the head 48 of the stud and the arm 43 resiliently biases the roller 45 against the belt.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure plate defining a work supporting surface, a feed shaft journaled in said bed on an axis parallel to said work supporting surface, means for imparting intermittent oneway rotation to said feed shaft, an arm pivotally mounted on and depending from said feed shaft, a frame secured to said arm for linear adjustment in a direction parallel to said work supporting surface and perpendicular to the axis of said feed shaft, an adjusting screw mounted in said bed, means for connecting said adjusting screw to said frame for pivoting said frame about the axis of said feed shaft upon turning said adjusting screw and comprising a bracket secured to said frame and having an openended slot disposed in the direction of linear adjustment and a peripheral groove in said adjusting screw defining a reduced diameter portion that is received within the slot, a feed wheel journaled in said frame and including a work engaging feeding surface and a sprocket, a sprocket secured in said feed shaft, and a belt entrained about said sprockets for imparting rotation to said feed wheel upon rotation of said feed shaft.

2. In a sewing machine having a bed including a bed plate defining a work supporting surface, a feed shaft journaled in said bed on an axis parallel to said work supporting surface, means for imparting intermittent oneway rotation to said feed shaft, an arm pivotally mounted on and depending from said feed shaft, a frame secured to said arm, an adjusting screw mounted in said bed, means for connecting said adjusting screw to said frame for pivoting said frame about the axis of said feed shaft upon turning said adjusting screw, a feed wheel journaled in said frame and including a work engaging feeding surface and a sprocket, a sprocket mounted on said feed shaft, a belt entrained about said sprockets for imparting rotation to said feed wheel upon rotation of said feed shaft, said feed wheel having an opening axially thereof, and a rotary hook journaled in said bed for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of said feed shaft and disposed relative to said feed wheel for accessibility through the axial opening in said feed wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 31,805 Hicks Mar. 26, 1861 1,414,625 Corrall et a1 May 2, 1922 1,488,234 Diehl et al. Mar. 25, 1924 1,644,544 Ringe Oct. 4, 1927 2,398,652 Le Visconte Apr. 16, 1946 2,518,987 Hacklander Aug. 15, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 44,074 Germany Aug. 7, 1888 850,381 Germany Sept. 25, 1952 

1. IN A SEWING MACHINE HAVING A BED INCLUDING BED PLATE DEFINING A WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE, A FEED SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID BED ON AN AXIS PARALLED TO SAID WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE, MEANS FOR IMPARTING INTERMITTENT ONEWAY ROTATION TO SAID FEED SHAFT, AN ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON AND DEPENDING FROM SAID FEED SHAFT, A FRAME SECURED TO SAID ARM FOR LINEAR ADJUSTMENT IN DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE AND PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID FEED SHAFT, AN ADJUSTING SCREW MOUNTED IN SAID BED, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID ADJUSTING SCREW TO SAID FRAME FOR PIVOTING SAID FRAME ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID FEED SHAFT UPON TURNING SAID ADJUSTING SCREW AND COMPRISING A BRACKET SECURED TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING AN OPENENDED SLOT DISPOSED IN THE DIRECTION LINEAR ADJUSTMENT AND A PERIPHERAL GROOVE IN SAID ADJUSTING SCREW DEFINING A 